In order to spread awareness among younger drivers in Europe, Ford has developed a 'Drink Driving Suit', which replicates the effects of being under the influence of alcohol. Drunken driving is responsible for more than 25 per cent fatalities on the road, and Ford has taken on the job of educating youngsters about the ill-effects.
According to a survey of 5,000 younger drivers (aged between 18 and 24), 66 per cent didn't know the legal alcohol limit for driving in their respective country, while an alarming 32 per cent said they'd taken a ride from a drunken driver.
The survey also revealed that 74 per cent of young men from Spain, 65 per cent from Germany and 64 per cent from France have either been behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol or have seen their friends do so. A total of 26 per cent of the ones who admitted doings so say that they believed that they could drive safely.
On the positive side, in another survey, about 87 per cent of the Irish public said that drinking and driving is extremely shameful.
The Drink Driving Suit has tunnel-vision glasses, ear muffs, wrists and ankle weights, which help in making people understand how difficult even simple tasks become when performed under the influence of alcohol. "Ford's 'Drink Driving Suit' is a clever way of enabling people who are sober to safely experience first-hand how significantly their abilities can be affected by alcohol," said Ford Ireland chairman Eddie Murphy. "The suit means we can show people how much more difficult even simple activities become, as well as teaching them about the dangers of drinking and driving. Drinking and driving is a potentially lethal combination and the results of this survey underline the importance of making young drivers in particular aware of that message. Here in Ireland, a survey on behalf of the Road Safety Authority has shown that 87 per cent of the Irish public say that drinking and driving is extremely shameful. In fact they say it's more shameful than speeding or shop lifting. However, when you realise that a third of fatal crashes here have alcohol as a factor, there is obviously a significant minority who haven't got the message that there is no safe level of alcohol to take when you are driving"
Ford developed the "Drink Driving Suit" with scientists from the Meyer-Hentschel Institut in Germany, a company specialising in research into the effects of mobility impairment. "People trying on the 'Drink Driving Suit' for the first time soon find that they struggle with everyday tasks they would usually take for granted - such as picking up a cup or dialling a telephone number," said Gundolf Meyer-Hentschel, company founder and chief executive officer. "It provides a powerful way of reinforcing the serious message of what could happen when driving under the influence of excessive alcohol."
Anything else?
One year after introducing Ford Driving Skills for Life, Ford has now also introduced Third Age and Pregnancy suits to help people understand how older drivers and expectant mothers feel, apart from the above mentioned Drink Driving Suit.